Case study

The North West Electrification Project – Phase 2

The North West Electrification Project (NWEP) Phase 2 was the second of the five phases of the £400m Network Rail investment that will introduce electrification between Manchester and Liverpool.

NCB were once again appointed to act as the Notified Body (NoBo), Designated Body (DeBo) and Assessment Body (AB), contracted to produce three technical files and three Common Safety Method safety assessment reports in order for the project to achieve full safety certification.

In order for this project to be as efficient as possible NCB took the innovative approach of meeting with the ORR to gain feedback on the output of NWEP Phase 1 to improve the way we worked for Phase 2. We modified the assessment report to address ORR feedback and capture additional detail required for authorisation, including making improvements to simplify the process chain for the next Phase.

Maintaining our flexible approach, we encouraged collaborative working, including arranging for our staff to be based directly with the principal contractor to enhance the assessment process. Throughout the project we responded quickly and efficiently, working to ensure that the impact of client timescales slippage was minimised.

We introduced a ‘standard’ technical file assessment report so the three technical files could be produced in quick succession and we implemented an NCB Internal Technical Review before files were issued to the client. This review, led by the professional head, ensured a consistently high quality of output throughout the duration of the project.

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